1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to water cleaning systems and methods for field testing and creating value based on using lower aliquots of energy than currently employed to produce clean water. The present disclosure specifically provides a series of technical system improvements based on an improved technical model to exploit exclusively licensed technology for generating cleaned waters from industry, but are not limited to the oil and gas industry, mining, pulp and paper, semiconductor, food and beverage, chemical plating, as well as municipal waste water treatment, electric power generation, environmental remediation, and the generation of clean water for human, animal and agricultural uses.
Existing systems for producing clean water do not support the ongoing needs of the populations of the world for several prominent reasons, as well documented in the literature. The present inventors have studied these issues and are obtaining the first-ever permit for surface discharge of produced water in New Mexico.
Industries ranging from those charged with creating potable water to industrial power generators have evidenced longstanding needs in this area. Prior to the advent of the instant teachings these needs remained unaddressed.
2. Background of the Art
Produced water is water trapped in underground formations which comes to the surface during oil and gas exploration and production. It occurs naturally in formations where oil and gas are found along with the oil and gas, which is millions of years old. When oil or gas is produced, both are brought to the surface as a produced fluid.
The composition of this produced fluid includes a mixture of either liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons, produced water, dissolved or suspended solids, produced solids such as sand or silt, and recently injected fluids and additives that may have been placed in the formation as a result of exploration and production activities. Studies indicate that the produced waters associated with gas/condensate platforms are approximately ten times more toxic than the produced waters discharged from traditional oil platforms.
Production of coal bed methane (CBM) often involves significant amounts of produced water. CBM operators typically drill surface wells into coal seams. These coal seams usually contain deep bedrock aquifers and large volumes of water. CBM operators pump this water from the seam causing a reduction in pressure, thereby releasing methane to the surface with the formation (produced) water. Produced water nearly always contains salt, and is therefore brackish or saline water.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) defines produced water as “the saline water brought to the surface with oil and gas.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines define produced water as “water (brine) brought up from the hydrocarbon-bearing strata during the extraction of oil and gas, and can include formation water, injection water, and any chemical added downhole or during the oil/water separation process.”
In general, neither the amount of produced water nor the quality of the water can be predicted prior to bringing the water to the surface. Produced water indicators vary across, and even within formation basins, depending on the depth of the well, geology, and environment of the deposit. In addition, formation hydrology often causes the quality of the produced water to change intermittently as the production well ages.
The volume of produced water from oil and gas wells also does not remain constant with time. Traditionally, the water-to-oil ratio is the lowest when the well is new. As the well ages, the water-to-oil ratio increases, while the percentage of oil and gas similarly declines. For crude oil wells approaching the end of their production and/or economic life, produced water can comprise as much as 98% of the fluids pumped. CBM wells, by contrast, typically generate the most produced water early in the life of the well, with the water quantity declining as the well ages. In both cases however, for both oil and gas, the well's economic life is usually dictated by the amount of water produced—and its cost of disposal—rather than by the true end of oil or gas underground at the well. That is, by reducing the cost of produced water disposal, the economic reserves of oil and gas are increased in the U.S.
Produced water is by far the largest volume of waste generated in oil and gas extraction operations. Typically, in the United States 7 to 10 barrels of produced water are pumped for each barrel of oil produced. It is estimated that the United States oil and gas industry generates 20 to 30 billion barrels of produced water every year. This is equivalent to one-fifth of the entire flow of the Colorado River. Produced water streams are usually separated from the oil and gas at the wellhead and must be disposed of in a manner appropriate for the protection of human health and the environment.
In the United States, produced water comprises approximately 80% of the total volume of oil and gas production and exploration waste generated by the oil and gas industry. In the natural gas industry, more than 60% of the produced water generated is currently re-injected back into the ground. This percentage rises to 90% when traditional oil and gas produced water volume is considered. While re-injection wells are currently an approved regulatory disposal method, certain Rocky Mountain states are already experiencing limited re-injection capabilities as more stringent environmental regulations develop. Increasingly, alternative produced water disposal and treatment methods are needed.
In short, the known processes to produce cleaned water have not been efficient enough to satisfy the longstanding need to recover either potable or useful water without use of extreme conditions and significant energy inputs prior to the advent of the instant teachings, which address and overcome said longstanding need.